FERDINAND ZIRKEL (1838– ), German geologist and petrographer, was born at Bonn on the 20th of May 1838. He was educated in his native town, and graduated Ph.D. at the university in 186r. In early years he was engaged in teaching geology and mineralogy in Vienna. He became professor of geology in 1863 in the university of Lemberg, in 1868 at Kiel, and in 187o professor of mineralogy and geology in the university of Leipzig.
His numerous papers and essays include Geologische Skizze von der Westkiiste Schotllands (1871); Die Struktur der Variolite (1875); Microscopical Petrography (in Report of U.S. Geol. Exploration of 40th Par., vol. vi., 1876) ; Limurit aus der Vallee de Lesponne (1879); Uber den Zirkon (188o). His separate works include Lehrbuch der Petrographie (1866; and ed. 1893, 1894); Die mikroskopische Beschaffenheit der Minera.lien and Gesteine (1873).